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Surface, subsurface and atmosphere exchanges on the satellites of the outer solar system

  • The surface morphology of icy moons is affected by several processes implicating exchanges between their subsurfaces and atmospheres (if any). The possible exchange of material between the subsurface and the surface is mainly determined by the mechanical properties of the lithosphere, which isolates the deep, warm and ductile ice material from the cold surface conditions. Exchanges through this layer occur only if it is sufficiently thin and/or if it is fractured owing to tectonic stresses, melt intrusion or impact cratering. If such conditions are met, cryomagma can be released, erupting fresh volatile-rich materials onto the surface. For a very few icy moons (Titan, Triton, Enceladus), the emission of gas associated with cryovolcanic activity is sufficiently large to generate an atmosphere, either long- lived or transient. For those moons, atmosphere-driven processes such as cryovolcanic plume deposition, phase transitions of condensable materials and wind interactions continuously re-shape their surfaces, and are able to transportThe surface morphology of icy moons is affected by several processes implicating exchanges between their subsurfaces and atmospheres (if any). The possible exchange of material between the subsurface and the surface is mainly determined by the mechanical properties of the lithosphere, which isolates the deep, warm and ductile ice material from the cold surface conditions. Exchanges through this layer occur only if it is sufficiently thin and/or if it is fractured owing to tectonic stresses, melt intrusion or impact cratering. If such conditions are met, cryomagma can be released, erupting fresh volatile-rich materials onto the surface. For a very few icy moons (Titan, Triton, Enceladus), the emission of gas associated with cryovolcanic activity is sufficiently large to generate an atmosphere, either long- lived or transient. For those moons, atmosphere-driven processes such as cryovolcanic plume deposition, phase transitions of condensable materials and wind interactions continuously re-shape their surfaces, and are able to transport cryovolcanically generated materials on a global scale. In this chapter, we discuss the physics of these different exchange processes and how they affect the evolution of the satellites' surfaces.show moreshow less

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Author details:Gabriel Tobie, Bernd Giese, Terry Anthony Hurford, Rosaly M. Lopes, Francis Nimmo, Frank Postberg, Kurt D. Retherford, Jürgen Schmidt, John R. Spencer, Tetsuya Tokano, Elizabeth P. Turtle
URL:http://www.springerlink.com/content/102996
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-010-9641-3
ISSN:0038-6308
Publication type:Article
Language:English
Year of first publication:2010
Publication year:2010
Release date:2017/03/25
Source:Space science reviews. - ISSN 0038-6308. - 153 (2010), 1-4, S. 375 - 410
Organizational units:Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie
Peer review:Referiert
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